Web-holder mechanism for knitting machines



Sept. 2, 1924.

M. C. MILL-ER WEB HOLDER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING IACHINES Original FiledAvril 5,

Ewen/Z07:

Patented Sept. 2,1924.

MAX 0. MILLER, OF CUMBERLAND HILL,

RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNO R TO JENCKES KNITTING MACHINE GOMPANY, 0FBAWTUCKET, RHODEISLAND, A CORPORATION or RHODE ISLAND.

WEB-HOLDER MECHAN ISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Original application filed April 5, 1921, Serial N0. 458,640. Dividedand this application filed May 87,

1922. Serial No. 564,211.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX C. MILLER, a citizen of Germany, residing atCumberland Hill, in the county of Cumberland and State of Rhode Island,have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Web-Holder-Mechanism for nitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The invention relates to mechanism for. actuatin the web holders ofcircular knitting magiines such as are used for knitting seamlesshosiery.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient mechanismwhich is well adapted for retracting the web holders as they approachthe knitting point and for ad-' vancing them at the knitting pointduring reciprocatory knitting without danger of over-driving at theknitting point an without idle advance of the web holders prior to theirwithdrawal tending to strain the stitches and vibrate the idle needles.vTo these ends the invention comprises the featuresof construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and referred to in theclaims.

The present a plication is adivision of application Seria No. 458,640,filed April 5, 1921, and a preferred form of the invention applied tothe machine which is fully shown and described in said application isshown in the drawings. Fig. 1 is a detailed sectional view showing somuch of the needle cylinder as is necessary to indicate the applicationof the present invention thereto,- and Fig. 2 is a plan view showing theweb holder actuating cams and the controlling devices therefo Themachine indicated in the drawings is provided with a rotating andreciprocating needle cylinder 2 in which the needles 4 are mounted inthe usual manner. The web holders 6 are mounted to slide radially in adial 8 secured to the upper end of the needle cylinder and are providedwith butts 10 which engage a concentric groove 12 formed in a web holdercam ring 14 and are acted on by advancing and retracting cams arrangedat a gap in the groove. The cam ring is provided with two advancin camsl6 and. 18 for advancing the web olders at the knitting points duringrotary and reciprocatory knitting, and with two retractlng cams 20 and22 for withdrawing the 7 cams are carried on the inner ends of twomovable cam carrier levers 24 and 26 which are pivoted at 28 and 30 tothe web holder cam ring and are pressed outward by springs 32. Each setof cams is thus radially movable and its active position is determinedby one of two stationary controller cams 34 and 36adjustably supportedupon a fixed bracket 38. The controller cams are so arranged that whenthe cam ring is in position for rotary knitting the lever 24 will be inengagement with the controller cam 34 and the advancing cam 16 will beheld in active position while the lever 26 will be pressed outward byits spring to hold the advancing cam 18 out of active position and theretractingcam 22 in position to retract the web holders preparatory totheir advance by the active advancing cam 16. When the cam ring isshifted on a reverse stroke of the needle cylinder in reciprocatoryknitting the lever 26 will be carried into engagement with itscontroller cam 36, thus forcing the advancing cam 18 into activeposition while the lever 24 will be disengaged from its controller camand will be moved outward by its spring to withdraw the advancing cam 16from active position and to project the retracting cam 20 into activeposition. The inactive advancing ca'm will thus be 'withdrawn sli htlyfrom active position so that the web llolders will not be advanced inpassing the point of the cam prior to their withdrawal by the opposedretracting cam and will not, therefore, press against and strain thestitches or tend to vibrate the inactive needles as they approach thethroat through which the yarn is fed to the needles.

The controller cams are so shaped that when the needle cylinder israised or lowered to lengthen or shorten the stitch they will vary theradial position of the active web holder advancing cam so that theadvance movement oi the web holders will be, varied in accordance withthe variations in the length of stitch. This construction and mode ofoperation corresponds generally to that shown, described and claimed inap lications numbered 250,361 and 250,362, fi led August 17,1918.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction andarrangement of parts shown and described in embodying the inventioninthe machine of the application above referred to it will be understoodthat this construction and arrangement is not es-.

sential to the broader features of the inven-' tion and may be varied ormodified as found desirable or best suited to the construction and modeof operation of the machine to which it is to be applied.

What is claimed is: a

1. A knittin machine having, in combination, a nemfie cylinder, webholders, a web holder cam ring, a cam carrier movable on the ring towardand away from its axis, and a web holder advancin cam and a web holderretracting cam in ed relation on the carrier, and means for advancingand retracting the carrier during the knitting.

2. A knitting machine having, in combination, a needle cylinder, webholders, a web holder cam ring, two cam carriers movable on the ringtoward and away from its axis, a web holder advancing cam and awebholder retracting cam in fixed relation on each carrier, and means foralternately advancing and retracting the carriers during reciprocatorvknitting.

3. A knitting machine having, in combination, a needle cylinder, webholders having butts, a web holder cam ring, a cam carrier movable onthe ring toward and away from its axis, a web holder advancing camcarrier spaced to form a guideway for the butts.

5. A knitting machine having, in combination, a needle cylinder, webholders having butts, a web holder cam ring, two lovers pivoted to moveon the ring toward and away from its axis, and a web holder advancingand an opposed web holder retracting cam on each lever spaced apart toform a guideway between them for the butts.

6. A knitting machine having, in combi-' nation, a needle cylinder, webholders, a

. web holder cam ring, a cam carrier movable on the ring toward and awayfrom its axis, a web holder advancing cam and a web holder-retractingcam in fixed relation on the carrier, and a controller cam acting on thecarrier to control its position during the knitting.

7. A knitting machine having, in combination, a needle cylinder, webholders, a web holder cam ring, two cam carriers movable on the ringtoward and away from its axis, a web holder advancing cam and a webholder retracting cam in fixed relation on each carrier, controller camsfor alternately advancing and retracting the'carriers duringreciprocatory knitting and for varying the radial position of the activeweb holder advancing cam in accordance with the length of stitch.

MAX C. MILLER.

